LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 230, 31 January 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thb English Deputation.—The deputation which is shortly to visit Timaru should not be allowed to pass by this district without their attention being drawn to it. Temuka and Milford districts particularly are well-kuown to possess Borne of the best land in South Canterbury, and it may be thought wiser on the part of the English farmers to buy land in South Canterbury at HO to LI2 an acre, which will yield an immediate return, rathtr than virgin land in the North Island, at L2 an acre, and spend L 6 to L 8 more upon it before it will grow grass or any oth«.r crop, and even be doubtful of that. We understand that a well-known gentleman is ready to devote a day or two with himself and carriage to take the deputation over the Gei\ddine district. A Ctjbios.—The following was written on the back of a bank-note which passed through the hands of a gentleman the other day : " If all the men in Adam's race Were gathered together in one place, I would prefer to shed a tear, Before I'd part with you, my dear."

Sale at Geraldine.—Messrs Maclean and Stewart had a good salo of cattle at Geraldine on Thursday last. The whole were sold at fair prices. An amusing incident happened after the sale : one of the cattle broke away, and, being brought back, went right in to Mr B. Taylor's house, look a look round, and then retired, after testing the flavour of the meat in Mr Dawson's shop. A Row.—A wild, half-witted fellow kept prancing up and down the streets of Temuka yesterday, challenging nil and sundry to J fight, shaping right and left, to show his skill in the pugilistic line. The police putting in an appearance, this champion began practice on our worthy Sergeant, and, by taking him by surprise*, made him measure his length on the pavement in no time. The Sergeant's mettle being roused, he speedily placed the handcuffs upon him, and marched him off to "chokey." Temuka Bkass Band.—A Comnvttee meeting was held at the Crown Hotel on Thursday night. The business was of a routine nature. Three applications were received for the office of ba dmaster, the selection of which was deferrwd till next Thursday, the sth February.

S. C. OoursiNG Club.—Wo draw gov reader*' attention to the above Club's advevtis- its't in another oolwm . It will bo seen on refevmce io it, that tho lime i'or which entries should close Lave been extended. Wellington Cdp—The latest betting on this event is : —4 t» 1 agst L>u*a ; tk and of. ; 4to 1 agst Foul IMay, of., 5 to 1 tk and wanted ; sto 1 agst Hippo, Laertes, and Templefcon ; and 10 to 1 agst the other I '. Sinking Fund has done no work lately, and is reported to be broken down- Hailstorm, Templeton and King Quail have done some swift galloping, the former proving best.

The Telegraphists Again. —lt is reported (says the Oamaru Mail) that the Telegraph Commissioner has notified to the departments under his control that the pay of ar-y officer meeting with an accident while playing at football will cease while he is"absent from duty. Why should such fivit'e apply only to the Telegraph Department? We would surges! that the head of such a department should frame a list of games 'hat he has no obiection to his subordinates playing, the food and liquors that, he has no objection to their eating and drinking, tho hours that lie expects ttiem to relire.the ainonn 1 of tobacco they aie to smoke, and the soap, tooth-powder, and hair oil they will bo permitted to use. Our experience teaches us that there are more Civil servants incapaciated from performing their duties through disordered systems occasioned by indulging in cheese, beer, and tobacco than by indulging in football or any other exercise. Why should not an embargo also be placed on playintr cricket? It is a most dangerous game. We have only lately seen men with contused eyet», and heard of men breaking their legs while indulging in this pastime. The servne cannot bo disgraced by the appearance in public of one of its servants with a black eye, a«d ho is therefore as much lost to his position for a time as a in-ill who has had his instruments of locomotion damaged through playing foetbad

Anr.iTKAUY AcxioN.—lt was with a feeling of disgust rather than surprise (says the Ceylon Observer) that wo heard at Kalutara of a characteristic action on the part of Fath-T D iffy, the Ang!i< an priest placed there by Bishop Ooplcston, and an intolerant action, too, with which no me of his own congregation arc naturally indignant. It appeai'3 that Mr 11. H". Cameron., assistant Government agent, wished the priest to perform the marriage ceremony which should make that gentleman the partner of Miss Macleod, the daughter of the late Dr. Norman Macleod, of worldwide fame, but of course the "priori" wasn't going io disgrace his exalted oil ice by performing a ceremony in which a Presbyterian should be one of the actors. Kef ma' was made, and ::o a journey of twenty-six miles had to be made, and another and more liberal minister —a Church missionary—had to be obtained to lie tho knot at: Galle Face Church, C-uombo. It will perhaps come to her Majesty Queen Victoria's ears how the daughter of her former favorite minister was refused to he married to a churchman by one (£ tie " priests " who receive part of their stipend from the general revenue of this eoluiiy—a revenue raised largely from Buddhists, Hindoos, and Mohammedans. I'.iSNNY-Via?jE-FoUNi)--Fo<>LisH.—The following memorandum has b en received at the Dunedin Telegraph O'lico : '•[ The Commiss'oner has authorised the infliction of a fine of £SO, in consequence of the operators in Dnnedin refusing duty On the 2nd instant and subsequent days. You will b" goi d enough to codect the amount forthwith.—Signed, A. T. Macinni y, Assistant Secretary."

The Sale of a Liv:no—The Archbishop of York tokl the following story at the Yo-k Diocesan Conference :—What happened in this diocese in one case was this: A living was bought and the presentation was sent down to him, with a great number of papers. Amongst she rest was a letter which was opened like the rest,having been sent for (his Archbishop's*) secretary to read. It was a very curious letter. It said, "Dick, Dick, I have bought the living and paid for it. You go as quickly as possible and get instituted, before the thing is much talked about ; and there is an end of it." — (Laughter). Redirected the secretary to ask an explanation of this very short letter. There was a pause of three weeks, and at the end of it a solicitor wrote back to beg that he might be furnished with the letter. In these latitudes they did not part with original documents (laughter) and they told him so. A fortnight elapsed and the same solicitor wrote fOl a copy of the letter, which, they rejoined, after the explanations would be given him. It was by a pure accident that this matter was fv unci out,and if the gentleman had burnt the letter instead of sending it, they would heave known nothing about the {dan. Ho prevented the transaction as a matter of course. The waiter in the York refreshment room, two days before the man was to be instituted, was the witness of that deed,, and between the glasses of sherry tho living was to be bought, and before the end of the week the man was to be in it. That waa tho ki.d of action that brought scandal on the Church. (Applause.) Journalistic.—Mr J. M. Perrier, the " Intelligent Vagrant," a journalist wellknown throughout New Zealand, and who as lecturer to the Diorama of New Zealand so much entertained the Christchurch public, is now engaged on the Sydnej' Daily Telegraph, an opposition paper to ihe Morning Herald. His firticles (says tho Press) on the Night Side of Sydney have been croating a great sensation in that city. The new paper has become very popular. •